Corn-planter attachment.



No. 665,008. 7 I Pa't ont ed lab. I, ham.

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(No Model.)

TH! NORRIS PETERS- co. PHlYro-uwa. wAsmnm'OM n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. HENRY, OF OENTRALIA, MISSOURI.

CORN-PLANTER ATTACH M ENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 665,008, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed February 20, 1900. Serial No. 5,936. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Centralia, in the county of Boone and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Corn-Planter Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to corn-planters, and has for its object to provide the ordinary wheeled corn-planter with an attachment by means of which the ordinary check-row mechanism may be dispensed with and the driver be enabled to set the machine at the beginning of each row in such a manner as to cause the hills of corn to register or stand in perfect alinement both Ways across the field and to drop the succeeding hills at the desired distances apart.

With this object in View my invention consists in the improved attachment for corndroppers, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved dropper attachment in position upon the ordinary corn-dropper. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts in their inoperative position. and Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modification.

In dropping corn in hills without the use of the ordinary check-row or hand dropping mechanism it is absolutely necessary that the first hill in each row be made to register with the hills of the preceding rows and that the succeeding hills be placed at an equal distance apart to correspond with the hills of the rows theretofore planted. To accomplish this, I provide one of the wheels of the dropper with suitable projections 2, which are arranged at such distances apart as to correspond with the distance between the hills within the rows and so adjusted relatively to the dropping mechanism that one of them will form a depression over each hill of corn. These projections or markers may be of any suitable construction and be secured to the rim of the wheel in any suitable manner, the only requirement being that they project far enough beyond the rim to make an impression that can be easily seen by the driver.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views,

Secured upon one side of one of the wheels is a rim 3, which is provided with as many pins 4 as there are markers upon the rim of the wheel and so arranged relatively thereto as to engage with and operate the dropping mechanism and cause the hills and markers to register, as above described.

My improved dropping mechanism comprises a substantially T-shaped lever 5, which is pivotally secured to the side of the frame in position to cause the stem to stand in the path of the pins 4 and to be moved by them as the wheel of the planter rotates. The fulcrum-point is located in the head of thelever, preferably nearer one end than the other, and has a pin 6 projecting from one side of the longer end of the head. Detachably connected with the pin is a reciprocating rod 7, which is pivotally connected with an arm 8, projecting upward from the dropper-shaft 9. At the point where the rod is connected with the pin it is preferably provided with a shoulder which is formed by a notch 10, which fits loosely over the pin 6, and the opposite end of the rod extends beyond the pivotal pin with the arm 8 in position to be engaged by bracket '1 1 when the shoes of the dropper are raised at the end of the row.

The arm 8 is provided with a projection or lug 12, which extends under the rod 7 and holds it in its horizontal position while the dropper-frame is being raised and lowered. A coiled spring 13 may be connected with the notched end of the lever and with the arm for the purpose of drawing the end of the lever down in engagement with the pin 6 when the dropper-frame is lowered at the begin-v ning of the row. A similar spring 14 is secured to the shorter end of the head of the lever 5 and with the frame of the dropper for the purpose of returning the free end of the stem of the lever to its normal position after it has been forced down by one of the pins.4 upon the rim 3.

In using my improved attachment the markers 2 and the rim 3 are secured to the wheel 1 and the lever 5 and the bracket 11 bolted to the side of the frame in position to engage with each other and with the pins on the rim The arm 8, which is provided with a divided clamp, is then secured to the ordinary dropper-shaft, and the machine is ready for operation. As the machine advances across the field the pins 4 successively engage with the lever 5, and thereby rock the shaft 9, so as to deliver the corn to the spout of the shoes or runners, from which the grain is permitted to escape by means of the ordinary valve mechanism 15 in the usual manner. When the machine reaches the end of the row, the driver raises the dropping-frame by means of the handle or lever 16 in the usual manner and turns the machine around in position to start upon the return trip across the field. As soon, however, as the frame has been raised one end of the bar 7 is caused to engage with the bracket 11, which will raise the opposite end of the rod and cause the notch therein to be disconnected from the pin upon the head of the lever, thereby throwing the dropping mechanism out of gear. Before starting upon the return trip the planter is set with the axle in line with the impressions made with the marker on the previous rows and the wheel turned until the marker is immediately perpendicular with the axle that is in alinement with the marks formed in the preceding rows. The frame is then lowered, which will cause the rod 7 to be disen gaged from the bracket, which will permit the notched end to be again connected with the pin upon the head of the lever, when the machine is again ready for operation.

As above described, my improvement is adapted for use upon what is known as a rotary or cumulative dropper, in which the grain is successively deposited in the spout of the shoe until sufficient quantity is accumulated to form a hill, when the valve in the shoe is raised by the rocking of the shaft 9 by my improved dropping attachment. If it be desired to use it upon what is known as a hill-dropper, in which sufficient grain is deposited in the shoe at one time to form a hill, the rocker-shaft 9 should be provided with a ratchetwheel 17 and the rod 7 be provided with a pawl 18 for engaging therewith and rotating the shaft as the rod is reciprocated, a suitable stop 19 being provided to hold the shaft after it has been partially rotated by the action of the rod and the pawl.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a corn-planter provided with vertically-movable dropping mechanism, the combination, with the droppenshaft, of a longitndinally movable lever pivotally secured thereto, means connected with the drivingwheels for moving the lever longitudinally, and means for automatically moving the lever upon its pivot to disconnect it from the operating mechanism when the dropping mechanism is raised, substantially as described.

2. In an attachment for corn-droppers, the combination, with a lever, of a rod adapted to be pivotally secured to the dropping mechanism and having one end provided with a shoulder for engaging with the lever and means for engaging with and operating said lever, substantially as described.

3. In an attachment for corn-droppers, the combination with a lever, of an arm adapted to be secured to the rocker-shaft, of a rod pivotally secured to the upper end thereof, intermediate its ends, one end of which is detachably connected with the lever, a bracket for engaging with the other end of said rod, and means for engaging with and operating said lever, substantially as described.

4. In an attachment for corn-droppers, the combination, with a substantially T-shaped lever, a coiled spring connected with one end of the head of the latter and a rod detachably connected with the other end, an arm pivotally secured to said rod and provided with a shoulder for engaging therewith, a spring connected with the arm and the rod, and a bracket for engaging with said rod to disconnect it from the lever and means for engaging with and operating said lever, substantially as described.

5. In a corn-dropper, the combination, with a wheel, of markers secured to the rim thereof, a rim secured to the inner side of said wheel and provided with pins, a lever pivotally secured to the frame in position to have its free end engaged by said pins, one end of which is provided with a pin, an arm secured to the rocker-shaft, a rod pivotally secured to the upper end thereof, one end of which is provided with a notch to engage with said pin, and a bracket secured to the frame of the dropper in position to engage with the opposite end of said rod and disconnect the notched end from the pin when the frame of the planter is raised, substantially as described.

JAMES L. HENRY.

l/Vitnesses:

SANFORD l-IARDIN, It. H. BALDRIDGE. 

